Gut-Healthy Carb Sources
Disclaimer: This isn’t medical advice, but my personal opinion. Any diet changes should be discussed with your M.D.
Figuring out the carb situation can be tricky. We need carbs for energy, but we need to eat them in a way that doesn’t leave us bloated and foggy-brained. I’ve made a long list of foods that can satisfy our need for carbs while being generally more nutritious and digestible.
Upping your intake of easier-to-digest carbohydrate sources (while avoiding those you don’t do well with) can go a long way to feeling lighter and more energetic!
But first a word on grains.
Some carbohydrate-rich foods can be tough on digestion - in particular, whole grains such as brown rice and quinoa as well as all gluten-containing grains, whole or refined (wheat, barley, rye).
Grains can be irritating on the gut lining and may compromise digestive function over time.
Another strike - it’s hard to pull nutrients from whole grains due to the “antinutrients” they contain (lectins, phytate, gluten). These antinutrients block the absorption of important minerals such as zinc, calcium and iron.
Is this a big deal? Ask yourself a few questions.
How grain heavy is your diet?
How well do you tolerate grains?
Do you have trouble absorbing nutrients such as calcium or iron?
Do you have any gut-brain symptoms such as brain fog or fatigue?
If you’re prone to digestive issues, malabsorption, or mind-body issues that stem from gut inflammation (brain fog, joint pain, fatigue) pay attention to how grains affect you. There are plenty of nutritious carbohydrate sources that are easier to digest.
You can also soak, ferment (sourdough) or sprout grains to neutralize many of the antinutrients and make them more digestible. I’ve
important noteS:
Make diet changes slowly to minimize any discomfort that may happen as your gut bacteria adjusts to new foods.
Gut-healthy carbs
fruit and fruit juice
For many, the sugars in non-starchy fruits are easier to digest than fibrous grains or starches. Fruits contain fewer antinutrients than grains, and are loaded with vitamins and minerals that your body can use.
Pulp-free juice can be a great source of bioavailable glucose since it’s bundled with phytochemicals that facilitate the conversion of fuel to energy - without the fiber that can be hard on digestion. Tolerance varies widely so take note of which fruits work best with your body!
Fruit juice (I love pomegranate juice and organic pulp-free oj)
Stewed fruits & cooked fruits
Oranges & clementines
Ripe plantains (pan-frying them or making plantain pancakes breaks down the starch for easier digestibility)
Berries
Melons
Kiwi and golden kiwi
Pineapple
Grapes
Figs
Raisins
Mango (frozen and dried too)
rootS, tubers & squash
Roots, tubers and winter squashes are great staples. Even the starchier varieties such as sweet potatoes and white potatoes contain added nutrition (plus they’re satiating). Some may not digest starch as well - if that’s you, go easy at first.
Carrots (raw to help with constipation, or cooked)
Rutabagas
Potatoes (gold, red, russet)
Yams, Sweet potatoes (white/Japanese and orange)
Butternut, acorn, pumpkin, kabocha squash
Spaghetti squash
Cassava flour (tortillas, baked goods, chips)
sweeteners
Sweeteners aren’t toxic.
Sugary foods that are devoid of nutrition (i.e., soda) aren’t healthy because the body can’t use them well. But natural sugars in the context of a nutrient-rich diet are some of the easiest to digest sources of glucose! So, dropping some sugar in your coffee with a balanced breakfast is fine. Drinking ginger tea with honey for an afternoon pick-me-up is great!
Remember, you’re not trying to maintain rock-bottom blood sugar levels. Far from it. You need consistent glucose for steady energy.
Honey
Maple syrup
Coconut sugar
Cane sugar
GRAINS
Ideally, whole grains should be sprouted or soaked before cooking to neutralize some of the antinutrients. You can also buy sprouted grains and flours ready made.
Sprouting and soaking won’t eliminate one pesky antinutrient - gluten, but will reduce it. Sourdough bread still contains gluten, but less.
In the case of rice, white is easier to digest since the bran and germ have been removed (and along with them, antinutrients that block calcium and other minerals.)
White rice & white rice flour
Sprouted or soaked oats
Hulled buckwheat (preferably soaked, I like grinding hulled buckwheat groats into a flour in my Vitamix for pancake or muffin batter. It’s a very light flavor, even better than wheat!)
Sprouted or sourdough wheat bread (occasionally, only if gluten is tolerated)